As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we grieve for our brothers and sisters lost in a Michigan chapel. We pray for the families whose lives are forever changed; we struggle to comprehend the hatred that targeted a place of worship. And in the midst of our sorrow, we find our faith questioned, our Christianity dismissed in comment sections filled with hate.
We also mourn a prophet. A man who, at 93, challenged us all to keep up with his pace (as he sprinted towards 101!). He simplified our schedules, refined our temple worship, and centered our homes on Christ. But more than any policy, he testified of Jesus Christ—of His atoning sacrifice and triumphant resurrection. He constantly directed us back to the two great commandments: to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We are mourning. But we are not adrift.
We know what comes next.
There will be no contention, no division, about our next leader. President Oaks will assume his place in the line of succession. This weekend, at General Conference, we will raise our hands to sustain a new prophet, our grief mingling with hope for the future.
We will sob for the lives lost in Michigan, even as we listen to messages urging us to pray for our enemies, to answer hatred with love, to forgive as we wish to be forgiven.
We will hear new stories, gain new insights, eat too many cinnamon rolls, and we know Elder Uchtdorf and Elder Kearon will make us laugh. But the overarching message will be the one we know by heart: Love thy neighbor. Care for the weary. Cultivate peace.
We live in an age of upheaval and animosity. As followers of Christ, our mandate is to respond not in kind, but with love.
The scriptures speak of “enduring to the end.” I often pictured this as a final test of will: a challenge to keep the commandments without stumbling at the finish line. But now I see it differently. To endure to the end is to endure in love. It is to maintain a compassionate heart when the world offers hatred; to love our fellow beings even when we are despised. It is the daily, active choice to live the two great commandments—to love God and our neighbor—until the day we kneel at the feet of our Savior.
